For avid golfers looking for a family experience, community is key

With four kids that are old enough to give them a bit more freedom, and with careers that allow them both to enjoy life’s little pleasures, joining Credit Valley Golf Club was a no-brainer for Mark and Michele Hornick.

The pair are avid golfers and enjoy the camaraderie that comes along with the club atmosphere, but until they played at a comparable club, literally around the corner from Credit Valley, they realized Credit Valley was everything they were looking for, and more.
Joining Credit Valley as a new member has never been easier and the benefits are innumerable.

“Everyone is busy, so proximity is important,” says Mark Hornick, who lives just 12 minutes from Credit Valley in Mississauga. “For us, we were looking for more than just a great golf course. We wanted a place to potentially meet some new friends. One of the great things that… made us take notice is the difference at Credit Valley versus other private clubs. They don’t care what your job is; they care what kind of person you are. We thought that was pretty cool.”

Mark explains that while the pair played a number of the private clubs in the general vicinity of Credit Valley, they liked the course better, the facilities, and the people.

“Top to bottom everyone puts themselves second, and it’s all about how the staff members can make the experience at Credit Valley the best it could possibly be,” says Mark.

“It’s all about the members,” continues Michele. “It’s the little things they do that make us go, ‘Wow, that’s so great.’”
Michele’s job has afforded her to play many rounds of golf at private clubs throughout her career, but there was something that really stood out about Credit Valley when it was time to consider joining a club.
She admits there was always a ‘certain feel’ when she played other courses as a woman. While many members were males, she says she just never felt welcome.

That’s changed totally since being immersed in the Credit Valley experience.
“I felt welcomed whether I was interacting with males or females. It was totally different for me,” she states. “You feel like you fit. For me, I really felt like I fit and I was very welcomed and comfortable there.”
Michele smiles as she recalls how much fun she had in just a few months as part of the women’s program at Credit Valley — remembering the experience as being organized, engaging, and amazing.

“Each of the events drew a different subset of women and I couldn’t get over how every one was fun and engaging and different, and it broke down the barriers to someone new coming in,” she explains. “I just could integrate very easily.”
While Michele has already incorporated herself with women’s teams and on event committees, Mark is eager to join up with other participants of Men’s Day on the golf course and get to know even more people.
He has taken full advantage of the club’s excellent business facilities, bringing a handful of clients to Credit Valley for meetings or presentations.

“They loved it,” he explains of his colleagues’ impressions of Credit Valley. “The environment is very peaceful and the facilities are really professional. All the boardroom and [business] facilities are top notch. You have these beautiful views from all the conference rooms and then (the staff) would layer in something like a putting or chipping contest that people really enjoyed as well.”
But it’s not just the business crowd that is attracted to Credit Valley’s views and facilities, as the couple has booked a family function for next spring. On top of that, Mark will be using the fitness facilities through the winter, while Michele has already signed up for the indoor golf academy once the snow flies.

While joining Credit Valley was originally a decision made for the Hornick’s as an opportunity to play more golf, with their kids getting older and the course being so close to their house, the experience has evolved into so much more. The many benefits of a Credit Valley membership extend away from the golf course as well.

They joined as trial members earlier in 2017, and although they didn’t have to make a formal decision about fully joining the course until early 2018, the Hornick’s have already committed to long term membership..
And while Michele says making social connections at Credit Valley has been ‘very easy,’ Mark sums up why the couple made the decision to join in a concise way, one that shows how easy it is for new members to become a part of life at Credit Valley.
“It’s like a second home,” he says.

Less than 30 minutes from downtown Toronto, Credit Valley Golf and Country Club is a private golf club located in the heart of Mississauga nestled on the banks of the beautiful and serene Credit River. With a commitment to community, Credit Valley Golf and Country Club is the perfect place for your family to call home.
For more information on memberships, visit http://www.creditvalleygolf.com

This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of Credit Valley Golf and Country Club